Apparatus for mounting caps

ABSTRACT

A cap is mounted on a dispensing container having an upwardly extending valve actuator, the cap having an aperture through which the actuator is arranged to extend, the actuator and the cap opening having mating configurations fixing the relative rotational positions of the cap and actuator about a vertical axis; the mounting procedure including positioning the cap over the container with the actuator opposing the opening, pressing the cap and the actuator gently together and simultaneously rotating one with respect to the other to mate the actuator with the opening and to cause one to enter the other, the pressure being insufficient to actuate the valve, and then increasing the pressure to seat the cap on the container.

United States Patent Adams 51 May 16, 1972 541 APPARATUS FOR MOUNTING CAPS 3,405,499 10/1968 Dexter ..53/317 x 3,440,798 4/1969 Rackley.... ....53/3 17 X [721 Edward Adams Paul 3,491,516 1/1970 Bergeron ..53/317 [73] Assignee: The Gillette Company, Boston, Mass. 3,551,993 1/1971 Cassai et al, ..29/208 X [22] Filed: Sept 1970 Primary Examiner-Theron E. Condon [2]] Appl. No.: 68,825 Assistant Examiner-Horace M. Culver AttorneyR. W. Furlong 52] US. Cl ..53/329, 29/208 B, 259//23460, 57 T ACT 3 7 [51 I Int. Cl ..B65b 7/28 A Cap is moufned a dispensing container, having 158 Field ofSenrch ..53/341, 329, 317, 367, 306, wardly extndmg Valve W the cap havmg aperture 53/360 361 362; 29/208 B, 240 through which the actuator 15 arranged to extentl, the actuator and the cap opening having mating configurations fixing the [56] References Cited relative rotational positions of the cap and actuator ahout a vertlcal axis; the mounting procedure including positioning UNITED STATES PATENTS the cap over the container with the actuator opposing the opening, pressing the cap and the actuator gently together and 2,705,101 3/1955 Everett ..53/317 simultaneously rotating one with respect to the other to mate 2,744,368 5/1956 Eyerett .53/317 X the actuator with the opening and to cause one to enter the 2,884,751 5/1959 l "53/317 other, the pressure being insufiicient to actuate the valve, and

1 gf yd i: then increasing the pressure to seat the cap on the container. imon 3,134,21 l 5/1964 Roberts et a1 ..53/317 X 7 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEDmismz sum 1 [IF 3 P'A'TE'N'TED MAY 16 I972 SHEET 2 OF 3 FIG 3 III/III fi/ f /////////////////////////2 APPARATUS FOR MOUNTING CAPS This invention relates to apparatus and method for mounting caps on dispensing containers.

Objects of the invention are to provide reliable, rapid, automatic cap mounting, where an aperture of the cap and an upwardly extending valve actuator of the container have mating configurations which must be aligned to fix the rotational position of the cap and actuator about a vertical axis.

In general the invention features placing the cap over the container with the actuator opposing the cap opening, pressing the cap and actuator gently together so as not to actuate the valve and simultaneously rotating one with respect to the other to mate the actuator with the opening and to cause one to enter the other, and then increasing the pressure to seat the cap on the container. In preferred embodiments the cap has a key and the actuator has a keyway with a flared entrance to facilitate entry of the key thereinto during the rotation; a cap chuck assembly includes springs for yieldably pressing the cap and actuator gently together, and a cam operated shaft for forcing the chuck toward the container to seat the cap thereon; the chuck has a resilient annulus axially compressible by a fluid operated piston to expand radially into engagement with the cap, and a pad to frictionally engage the top of the cap while the cap and actuator are rotating with respect to one another and after the piston has been retracted to release the cap from the grip of the annulus; the chuck is connected to its shaft through a non-rigid joint which allows play to accomodate misalignment of the cap and the container; and the containers and caps are continuously moved about an axis from a supply station to a release station. The invention is particularly suitable for application to conventional pressurized aerosol spray cans in which a valve for dispensing the contents is centrally mounted at the top of the container and provided with a spring loaded vertically movable actuator for opening and closing the valve.

Other objects, features, and advantages will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, taken together with the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of cap mounting apparatus; 4

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along 22 of FIG. 1, with fragments of some mechanism above the section plane being shown in phantom;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view, along 3-3 of FIG. 1, of the cap chuck assembly;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view partially broken away of an aerosol container, actuator, and cap assembly;

FIG. 4a is a view in perspective of the actuator, from the side opposite that shown in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 5 is a diagramatic view, including a timing chart, illustrating the sequence of operations of the apparatus of FIGS. 1-3.

Referring to the drawings, capping apparatus includes base 12, housing 14, and central post 16, all stationary and fixed to each other. Main drive cylinder 18 is rotationally driven (from a conventional source, not shown) through chain 20 and sprocket 22, and in turn rotates turntable 30 fixed to cylinder 18, and, through gears 32, 33, and 34, container loading and unloading stars 36 and 38. Loading and unloading conveyers 40 and 42 (FIG. 2 only) respectively cooperate with stars 36 and 38 and guide 39 to supply and, after capping, remove container 44. Chute 46 is mounted to deliver caps 50 to cap transfer arms 48, at a rate controlled through cap metering gate 52 mounted in the chute.

Crank operated jaws 60 are equally spaced angularly around turntable 30 (four stations, e.g., being shown in FIG. 2) to grip and position the containers on the turntable. Jaw crank shafts 62 are joumaled in turntable 30 and carry, under the turntable, cam arms 63, cam followers 64 which track in cam groove 66 in cam plate 68 fixed to base 12. Groove 66 is contoured so that shafts 62 will rotate to open or close jaws 60 as required to carry out the sequence of operations to be described.

A cap transfer arm 48, having a cap platform 49, is mounted adjacent each pair of jaws 60, on oscillating and reciprocating crank shafts 70 which pass through plates 72, 74, plate 72 being fixed to drive cylinder 18 and separated by spacers 76. Each shaft 70 is keyed to a collar 78 to permit the shaft to rotate within, but not move axially with respect to, the collar. Each collar 78 carries a cam follower 80 which rides on cam surface 82 of cylindrical flange 84 of housing 14, surface 82 having a contour to cause axial reciprocation of shafts 70 in the sequence of operations. Collars 78 track in vertical grooves 86 of spacers 76 to prevent rotation of the collars while allowing them to reciprocate.

Each shaft 70 is connected at its upper end through a crank 90 to a cam follower 92. Followers 92 ride along cam surface 94 of housing 14, surface 94 departing from being cylindrical at 95 (FIG. 2) to cause shafts 70 to rotate in the sequence of operations.

A cap .chuck assembly is supported above each pair of jaws 60 on a drive shaft 102 passing through plates 72 and 74 and keyed to a collar 104 in the same way that shafts 70 are keyed to collars 78. Each collar 104 is fixed at one side to a cam follower 106 that rides in circumferential groove 108 of stationary cylindrical cam 110 fixed to post 16, and is fixed at the other side to sleeve 112 slidable on spacer 76. To rotate shafts 102, gears 114 are splined to the shafts and mesh with central stationary gear 116 fixed to post 16.

Extending into each shaft 102 is an air tube 120 connected through a coupling 122 (within which shaft 102 can rotate) to an air line 124. Lines 124 are in turn connected through valve 126 (which rotates with plate 74 about post 16) to air supply line 130 fixed to housing 14 and controlled by valve 132.

Referring to FIG. 3, each chuck assembly 100 includes an upper housing fixed to shaft 102, and a lower housing 142 extension 144 of which passes through opening 146 in housing 140 and is connected to block 148 in turn linked through ball joint 150 to block 152 bolted to housing 140. Keys 154 prevent relative rotation in the ball joints. Frusto-conical seat 156 in opening 146 matches surface 158 of extension 144 while leaving some lateral play between housings 140 and 142. Air tube 120 extends into recess 160 in block 148, and is sealed thereto by O-ring 162.

Air passage 164 extends from recess 160 through block 148 into housing 142 above and around piston 166 which is mounted for axial movement on central guide 168 of housing 142. O-ring 170 seals between piston 166 and guide 168.

Rubber annulus 174 is mounted in housing 142 below piston 166, and is stepped so that upper surface 176 is adjacent outer ridge 178 of the piston and lower surface 180 is adjacent longer inner ridge 182. Ridge 178 has a sloping inner surface 184.

Cup is mounted inside piston 166, with shaft extension 192 in bore 194 of guide 168. Springs 196 bias cup 190 downwardly from guide 168, and screw 198 keys the cup to the guide to prevent relative rotation. Soft rubber pad 200 inside cup 190 provides a friction seat for cap 50.

Each can 44 to be capped has an outer annular recess 210 (FIG. 4) to receive lower rim 212 of cap 50, and an inner annular recess 214 into which snaps collar 216 of the cap. Actuator 220 fits over valve stem 222 mounted on valve 223 and has a vertical cap-locating groove 224 to receive lug 226 protruding from the wall defining central opening 228 of the cap. Groove 224 is flared at its top to one side of the vertical. The lug and groove ensure that cap 50 is oriented so that spray orifice 230 of actuator 220 is aligned to spray through opening 232 of the cap. Finger plate 234 is pivotally mounted (with pins 236 in bore 238) in cap 50 with rib 239 above actuator 220, so that depression of the finger plate in turn moves the actuator to produce the spray by actuating the valve.

In operation of the capping apparatus, as each pair of jaws 60 approaches conveyor 40 its cam follower 64 moves through a jog in groove 66 to open and then close the jaws to receive a filled but uncapped can 44. The can rests on tumtable 30 and is gripped and angularly aligned with chuck assembly 100 by jaws 60. Simultaneously, the cam follower 92 associated with that pair of jaws hits cam portion 95 of surface 94 to cause cap transfer arm 48, with platform 49 carrying a cap 50 received from chute 46, to rotate to a position where the platform is between can 44 and the chuck assembly 100 associated with that cam (see position of platform 49 shown in phantom in FIG. 1, and at position (a) of FIG. 5). The actuation of the jaws and the cap transfer arm is indicated in the timing graph at the top of FIG. 5, the graph being coordinated with the sequential drawings of that figure.

Cam follower 80 then reaches a jog in cam surface 82 to lift shaft 70 and platform 49, lifting cap 50 into chuck housing 142 until the top of the cap is seated against pad 200 (FIG. 3)

and cup. 190 then is raised to its uppermost position. Air is then supplied through line 130 to depress chuck piston 166, which squeezes rubber annulus 174 until it tightly grips cap 50 (FIG. 5 position (b)). In particular, surface 184 of ridge 178 tends to force annulus 174 radially inwardly, and ridge 182 exerts downward force near the inner periphery of the annulus.

Once the cap is gripped in the chuck, cam followers 92 and 80 leave their respective cam jogs to lower and pivotally retract platform 49.

At this time cam follower 106 reaches a downwardly sloping portion of groove 108, causing shaft 102 to lower the chuck until the cap is positioned just above the actuator 220.

As cap lug 226 reaches the upper surface of actuator 220, air pressure against chuck piston 166 is released, freeing the cap from the grip of annulus 174 (FIG. 5, position (d)). Shaft 102, which has been rotating as gear 114 moves around gear 116, continues to rotate the chuck, and with it cap 50 (due to the continued frictional contact of the cap with pad 200), until lug 226 becomes aligned with and drops into groove 224, under the force of springs 196 (FIG. 5, position (e)). The flare of groove 224 facilitates this operation.

After the cap has been allowed to spin for a complete revolution while released from the grip of annulus 174, cam follower 106 reaches a second downwardly sloping portion of groove 108, which sharply forces the chuck and cap downwardly beyond the point of full compression of springs 196 with guide 168 against cup 190, until cap collar 216 snaps into recess 214, and rim 212 (guided by jaws 60) is'received in can recess 210. Follower 106 then tracks groove 108 to the top of cam 110, jaws 60 open to release the can to conveyer 42, and another cycle begins.

Other embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art and are within the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for mounting, on a dispensing container having an upwardly extending valve actuator, a cap having an opening through which said actuator is arranged to extend, said actuator having a first mating configuration and said cap opening having a second mating configuration, said mating configurations fixing the relative rotational positions of said cap and actuator about a vertical axis; said apparatus comprising means for positioning said cap over said container with said actuator opposing said opening, pressing means for applying pressure to said cap to hold said cap and said actuator gently together including means for simultaneously rotating one with respect to the other to mate said first mating configuration with said second mating configuration and to cause one to enter the other, said pressure being less than required to actuate said actuator, and means for thereafter increasing said pressure to seat said cap on said container.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said positioning means comprises means for gripping said container and a cap chuck,

said pressing means comprises a spring, and the means for increasing the pressure comprises a cam operated shaft for forcing said chuck toward said container to seat said cap thereon.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said positioning means comprises a cap chuck having a chuck housing first gripping means for securing said cap against both axial and rotational movement with respect to said chuck housing and second gripping meansfor securing said cap a ainst rotational movement but allowing axial movement W1 respect to the chuck housing.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said first gripping means comprises a resilient annulus and means for axially compressing said annulus to cause its inner margin to move radially inwardly to grip said cap and said'second gripping means comprises a pad for frictionally engaging the top of said cap.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said means for axially compressing said annulus comprises a fluid actuated piston.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said chuck is connected to said shaft through a non-rigid joint which allows play to accommodate misalignment of said cap and said container.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein all said means are mounted for continuous movement about an axis to continuously advance containers and caps from a supply station to a release station. 

1. Apparatus for mounting, on a dispensing container having an upwardly extending valve actuator, a cap having an opening through which said actuator is arranged to extend, said actuator having a first mating configuration and said cap opening having a second mating configuration, said mating configurations fixing the relative rotational positions of said cap and actuator about a vertical axis; said apparatus comprising means for positioning said cap over said container with said actuator opposing said opening, pressing means for applying pressure to said cap to hold said cap and said actuator gently together including means for simultaneously rotating one with respect to the other to mate said first mating configuration with said second mating configuration and to cause one to enter the other, said pressure being less than required to actuate said actuator, and means for thereafter increasing said pressure to seat said cap on said container.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said positioning means comprises means for gripping said container and a cap chuck, said pressing means comprises a spring, and the means for increasing the pressure comprises a cam operated shaft for forcing said chuck toward said container to seat said cap thereon.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said positioning means comprises a cap chuck having a chuck housing first gripping means for securing said cap against both axial and rotational movement with respect to said chuck housing and second gripping means for securing said cap against rotational movement but allowing axial movement with respect to the chuck housing.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said first gripping means comprises a resilient annulus and means for axially compressing said annulus to cause its inner margin to move radially inwardly to grip said cap and said second gripping means comprises a pad for frictionally engaging the top of said cap.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said means for axially compressing said annulus comprises a fluid actuated piston.
 6. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said chuck is connected to said shaft through a non-rigid joint which allows play to accommodate misalignment of said cap and said container.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein all said means are mounted for continuous movement about an axis to continuously advance containers and caps from a supply station to a release station. 